With the recent reboot of the Bronco, Ford attempted to capture some of the nostalgic styling of the original off-road classic. While a sixth-generation Bronco is a fine vehicle, there's nothing like a '66 Roadster or '72 Ranger Wagon. The problem with the classic Broncos are, finding one is no easy task, and getting a hold of one that isn't made entirely out of rust is nearly impossible. Pensacola, Florida resto-mod company, Velocity Modern Classics, has the perfect solution to this dilemma. They find busted first-gen Broncos, do frame-off restorations, and fit them with new engines, suspensions, and interiors. It's the best of both worlds, to add the classic style of an original Bronco, with modern comfort and power.

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Velocity Restorations Gives New Life To Classic Broncos

Henry Ford revolutionized car manufacturing with the assembly line, and Velocity Modern Classics is doing the same thing for the vehicle restoration/modification process. With 135,000 square feet of workspace and over 85 automotive craftspeople, the company performs everything in-house, from breakdown to fabrication to finish work. They also have a specific process that promises a 14-week turnaround from hunk of junk to beautifully restored Bronco.

It all starts with a donor Bronco, provided by Velocity. They break it down to the frame, which is restored, straightened, and then powder-coated. Next, the body panels are repaired, stripped, and gap-corrected in a body mock up. The roll cage and exhaust are then fabricated, as well as any additional fab work needed for the body. By week 5, the body components are sanded and prepped for paint. The underbody gets lined for extra protection and heat management.

5.0 liter 460 horsepower Ford Coyote V-8 engine
Velocity
5.0 liter 460 horsepower Ford Coyote V-8 engine Velocity

At week #7, the drivetrain components are assembled and the painted body is reattached to the chassis. In the case of the Broncos, Velocity installs 5.0 liter 460 horsepower Ford Coyote V-8 engines. The biggest engine available on the first-gen Bronco was a 302 small block V-8 that made between 150 and 205 horsepower, so this is a great upgrade. Velocity offers two transmissions, a four-speed automatic and a 10-speed automatic, but doesn't appear to have any manual options. A "three on the tree" manual transmission would be a fun nod to the original.

Black Ford Bronco being dyne-tested at Velocity
Velocity
Velocity black Ford Bronco on the dyno tester

From there, it's just a matter of hooking up and buttoning down everything. The list of available modern interior comforts is impressive with heated leather seats, touch-screen infotainment systems, back-up cameras, and every other amenity one would find in a high-end luxury vehicle. Velocity finishes things off with an exhaustive quality control process, including 500 miles of dyno testing and tuning. All of this is for a custom order, but Velocity also builds their own resto-mod Broncos for resale on their proprietary VB3 Chassis.

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Velocity Also Restores Ford Trucks And International Scouts

Side view of Velocity rest-mod Ford F-250
Velocity
Side view of Velocity resto-mod F-250

Velocity cut their teeth on restoring first-gen Broncos, but has since branched out to other classic models like Ford F-250 trucks, International Scouts, and Chevrolet K5 Blazers. They are planning to add classic Ford Mustangs to their stable, and they've done a bunch of one-off resto-mods across the full spectrum of golden-age muscle cars and vintage 4x4s.

Resto-mod Ford F-150 by Velocity
Velocity
Front view of Velocity resto-mod Ford F-150

A Velocity Heritage Edition F-250 comes with a classic two-tone paint job, chrome accessories, and a Raptor Liner bed liner and undercarriage coating. Under the hood is a Ford 5.0L Coyote V-8 engine paired with a 4R70 automatic overdrive transmission, with a Dana 44 front axle and a Dana 60 rear. This beautiful beast rides atop a front and rear coil over suspension, front and rear sway bars, and 18-inch wheels. Like the Velocity Broncos, the F-250s have luxury interiors that would put a Lexus ES to shame.

Side view of Velosity rest-mod International Scout
Velocity
Side view of International Scout Velocity resto-mod

With the Signature Series Scout II, Velocity promises, "the ultimate combination of vintage 4×4 style, hand-built modern luxury, and capable performance." The resto-mods have pretty much the same stuff as the F-250s and Broncos, but with slightly more capable performance. They drop GM 6.2 Liter V-8 small block LT1 engines in these suckers that make 460 horsepower. Velocity says these "fire breathing" engines will get noticed because of their custom headers and exhaust. A vehicle that flies like a 'Vette but looks like a Scout, is an appealing selling point to anyone who loves the classics.

Three-quarters front view of Velocity custom Chevelle
Velocity
Three-quarters front view of Velocity custom 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle

More than anything, Velocity is a vehicle restoration company and can handle anything that rolls or is towed into their garage. There are no radical differences between doing a frame-off resto of a 1966 Ford Bronco Wagon and a 1966 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S. Velocity has done some amazing resto-mods on Chevelles and DeLoreons, while also knocking it out of the park on Jeeps and classic Toyota FJs.

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A Resto-Mod Bronco Is Worth Every Penny

4 Velocity resto-mod Broncos
Velocity
Front view of 4 classic Ford Broncos from Velocity

Velocity's restored classic Broncos are six-figure cars going from $258,900 for a '72 to $325,700 for a '76 hard-top custom. As they say, you get what you pay for and these are superb luxury vehicles in the shape of a classic and beloved 4x4. CarBuzz reports that a 1969 Ford Bronco sold at auction for $1.87 million in 2022, so these Velocity Broncos seem like a steal. Classic Cars has dozens of classic Broncos listed and all the ones that aren't held together with Bondo and duct tape are going for $100,000-plus because that's what these restored vehicles are worth.

Ford produced the first generation Bronco from 1966-1977 and it was a fun four-wheel drive vehicle that people still long for. The bigger clunkier second through fifth generation and the current underpowered sixth generation just don't invoke the same level of love or nostalgia as the original. Velocity has found an untapped market by bringing these classics back to life with modern power, technology and comfort.